Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Pickwick Inn, Oldfield Road

The Pickwick Inn stood on the lower part of Oldfield Road on the corner with Zebra Street, opposite the Oldfield Road ironworks. First recorded in 1871, the Pickwick belonged to Cronshaw's Brewery in the 1890s and Groves & Whitnall took over in 1899. A year later the landlord, Thomas Jackson, was in trouble when the police accused him of allowing illegal gambling, and the use of a lookout on the door who would shout "Now gentlemen" or "Aye, aye!" to warn those inside playing dominoes of the approaching law. Thankfully, they couldn't prove this and pub stayed open until 1976 when a fire led to its demolition [2]. Zebra Street has been lost to St Bartholomew's Drive today (googlemap link).